For Cailyn Cox, writing isn't just a hobby, it's her life. Passionate about Hollywood, she makes it her mission to find the most entertaining celebrity gossip for SheKnows readers. And when she's not enthralled in the celeb world, she's ...

Bieber genuinely seemed to be invested in his relationship with Richie. He invited her to jet around the world with him (including trips to Japan and Mexico, where she celebrated her 18th birthday). He was more than happy to post photos of her on Instagram, and even took a mini social media break to defend her honor. So the reports claiming that the couple has since split are a little unexpected. However, according to an E! News source, we should all remember "they were never officially together, but more casual hanging out and having fun."

Bieber and Richie didn't try to hide their affections for each other, but their passion could actually have been their downfall, at least according to a source, who told E! News that their romance "was super-hot and heavy, and because Justin doesn't want a relationship right now, he wanted to cool things down." The source added that "it wasn't an intentional cool-off," and it "just sort of happened on its own."

Of course, we didn't exactly expect these two to get hitched or anything (and Lionel Richie is probably rejoicing that his teenage daughter is single), but Sofia's earlier comments about Bieber did suggest that they had a serious connection.

"We have a special relationship," she said during an interview with Billboard, adding, "Justin is very easy to talk to, and that's hard to find with people in Los Angeles." Well, maybe that connection will translate into a friendship in the future.